


Links In The Chain

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons), Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alien Technology, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Banter, Conspiracy Theories, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Debating, Deductions, First Meetings, Hijacking, Intrigue, Investigations, Multi, Questions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-07 10:18:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7711243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Question has had experience with aliens. He puts them in the category of "worth noting but not mentioning"; even so, he wasn't expecting one of the aliens to think the same of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Links In The Chain

Any unsuspecting fellow would think of Jasper, Nevada as a run-of-the-mill kind of town, a place frankly too forgettable to seek out on a map—most likely, as a place that wouldn’t even be on a map. As someone who suspected everything and everyone, The Question saw it as the headquarters of a much larger operation.

Firstly, the KO Burger drive-in had a flickering neon sign, clearly spelling out Morse code. Secondly, he was sure the teenager working the drive-through worked fewer hours than everyone else, much fewer, but no one seemed to question it. Thirdly, no matter how many hours he worked, the boy wouldn’t be able to afford the motorcycle which was sitting out front, especially not one that came with a built-in hologram projector. He’d noticed that interesting little gadget as the leather-clad cyclist dissolved once it was parked in an inconspicuous place.

Naturally, he’d made some time in his schedule to investigate.

The teen wasn’t terribly remarkable, as far as Question was concerned, which made the motorcycle all the more intriguing. Where had it come from? How had that kind of technology been built into it and how had the boy received it? _It’s likely part of the greater plan to bring martial law by way of police motor units,_ he decided.

He tailed them up to the point that one of the motorcycle’s side mirrors tilted in his direction and then he slowed. He had no distinguishing features to speak of, which could very well distinguish him all the more in a town like this.

The drive-through worker and his motorcycle met up with a boy with a growth disorder and a Japanese girl, whose lack of aglets on her boots made it clear she was an exchange student who hadn’t yet been drafted into the plot. Her ride seemed unfit for host parents, too large; she was the only one who got in. Question doubted that the boy’s family could afford the custom muscle car he greeted, since he was clearly dressed in hand-me-downs.

They had to be involved in a cover-up, but a cover-up of what? Which area of the Great Conspiracy could be hidden in plain sight like this?

Not far from where the kids rendezvoused, Question could see an ambulance and a large truck together, parallel-parked. All he needed to do was borrow the ambulance and make a pass to see inside the other vehicles. However, he found the lock to be surprisingly stubborn, undisturbed by his attempts. He took a step back, scanning his surroundings and finding no one nearby. Thus he felt it was safe to pick up a rock and smash the window.

With that, the sirens blared to life and he leapt into the driver’s seat, flooring the pedal and sending the ambulance off with a sharp burst of speed. He noticed the children leaping out of their vehicles with shocked faces. That and the strange sigil marking the steering wheel confirmed that this conveniently-placed ambulance had to be a part of it too. He ran a gloved hand over it, studying it closely, and braced himself as the vehicle abruptly came to a jerky stop in an alleyway. Humming thoughtfully, he examined the dashboard, finding nothing awry, and then spoke aloud.

“Augmented vehicles in the hands of child operatives…Clearly in league with the government, but I would have found the portion of the government handling this technology by now if it were any _Earth_ technology. Are they in league with aliens then? Aliens working covertly in a Podunk town such as this one are _far_ more likely than one might surmise. Yet this ambulance just stopped on its own, so whatever aliens are here are either controlling it, which means I’d best scour it for audio devices, or…”

Tracing the ridges of the sigil with one hand, he tilted his head slightly and huffed softly in understanding. “…or this ambulance _is_ the alien. You’re custom, even among the others, and you wear the mark of your people, whoever they may be. In the brief glance I got, that truck had it too. You’re resistant to human hands, despite the fact that you’ve taken on the form of a human vehicle, so clearly you’re in disguise. Your choice of disguise is telling; you’re a medical unit. Why would the aliens bring a medical unit and feel the need to disguise themselves? They’re undercover, in enemy territory. That means you have enemies. This symbol isn’t just the sign of your people…It’s a sign of your _faction_ , a side in a greater battle. I’m not too far off, yes?”

After several minutes of silence, the door swung open. Question nodded politely and stepped out, tipping his head back in surprise as the ambulance unfolded into bipedal mode, leaving a large mech glaring down at him.

“The first truly _intelligent_ human I meet,” the alien groused, “and yet you resort to breaking my window to investigate. I needed that!”

“I’m persistent,” Question admitted guiltlessly. “And I’ve had experience with alien life.”

“Then since you’ve done such a _remarkable_ job of analyzing the situation, you’ll know that your life could be considered very small in the face of our greater battle, Earthling,” the alien pointed out sharply. “And unless you want that small life of yours to be forfeited to our enemies, you’ll keep this information to yourself.”

“Oh, I fully intend to. Your existence, like mine, is nothing but another link in the chain,” Question assured the mech. “It’s worth noting, but not mentioning.”

“Like your lack of a face,” the alien scoffed. “How do I know you’re not an operative?”

“So one of your enemies opts for facelessness as well. Interesting.” As he spoke, Question heard the truck turning the corner and watched the medic glance over, posture softening slightly but straightening. _That would be the team leader, then. They’re close_.

“Don’t transform on my account,” he told the truck. “I’m not interested in your war and I have no intention of revealing it to the public. I’m a well-known crackpot; I would be written off.”

“Even so,” the truck rumbled, “for your safety, you’d best return to our base with us.”

Now _that_ was something Question would find interesting.


End file.
